North Aegean Regional Information

The North Aegean Coast is an un-discovered gem of ancient towns, clean sandy beaches and olive groves. The summer season here is shorter than that on the Mediterranean coast to the south and for this reason it doesn't attract as many tourists. Property prices are considerably cheaper and there is a lot more availability of older, character properties in towns such as Ayvalik and Foca. The nearest airport is Izmir International and it takes 6 hours to get from somewhere like Ayvalik to Istanbul by luxury coach. You can get to Galipoli and the ancient remains of Troy in a few hours by bus from Ayvalik. This makes this area a firm favourite of Turks from the big cities, and is another reason why there is much more Turkish culture on display. If you are looking for cheap property in an area where Turkish culture and customs prevail and don't expect long sunny winters, then the North Aegean might be for you. Main resorts are Ayvalik, Foca, Yeni Foca, and Altinoluk.

Ayvalik

Ayvalik is a very old town that until the mid 1920’s was inhabited mainly by prosperous Greek merchants. The town still carries all the characteristics of an old Greek town with its impressive stone buildings, market places, harbour, and old churches. There are hundreds of these old stone town houses crying out for love and restoration. They can be bought at prices ranging from £35,000 up to around £100,000 depending on the size of the garden, number of rooms and the sea-view. The surrounding countryside is hilly and mainly given over to Olive groves which are the most important industry in this region. There are no high-rise modern developments in this area. The beaches are un-crowded and mostly sandy. The sea is crystal clear and teeming with fish; Ayvalik boasts one of Turkey’s top scuba diving locations. Night life in Ayvalik is low-key and revolves around the restaurants, bars and tavernas that line the harbour. There are no night clubs or theme pubs, just families enjoying a meal together and a stroll From café to café. During the day you can take boat trips around the bay stopping off to swim at various Islands for about £12.00 including lunch. Sarimsakli beach is an immense swathe of fine sand and is great for swimming and the town centre with its cobbled back streets is an absolutely fascinating place to lose yourself for hours on end, especially on market day.

Cesme

Cesme (pronounced chesh-may) is another resort favoured by Turkish celebrities. It has excellent beaches and restaurants and can be reached in less than half an hour from Izmir airport. Alacati beach is one of Europe’s top windsurfing venues and there are daily ferries to the Greek Island of Chios. All around this area there are bays and inlets with secluded beaches to be discovered and the delights of a major city like Izmir are never far away.

Foca & Yeni Foca

Foca (pronounced Focha) is another small, originally Greek, harbour town with a very slow pace of life particularly popular with weekend visitors from nearby Izmir. It has a good selection of fish restaurants and Cafes and a small central market area, all focused around the pretty harbour. Izmir airport is around 45 minutes away.

Yeni (new) Foca is 20 minutes drive away from Foca and is very similar, if a little smaller. Both of these resorts are easy to get to, laid back and very Turkish. Comparatively low property prices are a big attraction, as is the unspoilt scenery and plethora of important historical sites dotted around the surrounding countryside.

Izmir

Izmir is Turkey’s third largest city and is situated on the Aegean coast within striking distance of a number of excellent beach resorts. It makes an excellent centre from which to explore the whole Aegean coast and has a fascinating history of its own. Mentioned in the Bible as “Smyrna”, this city has been populated for several thousand years and is still an important centre of trade and commerce.